UN Security Council to meet on escalating Idlib violence

UN Security Council will hold an emergency session on the violence in northwestern Syria at 4 p.m. on Friday, amid fears that Russia and Turkey are drawing closer to a military confrontation.

Belgium's ambassador to the UN Marc Pecsteen told reporters in New York that clashes between Syrian regime and Turkish forces were "very concerning" and called for "de-escalation and a ceasefire".

"The escalation is very very concerning and so that's why I think this urgent meeting is requested. It's going to be made by several members of the council … the EU members plus the UK, the US and the Dominican Republic," said Pecsteen.

"We are joining this request for an urgent meeting of the council this afternoon. We are, once again, extremely concerned about the situation and we want to call for restraint, for de-escalation, and for a ceasefire."

The European Union members on the council are Germany, Estonia, France, and Belgium.

Some 33 Turkish soldiers have died in a Syrian government attack in Idlib in northwestern Syria, in a major escalation of the conflict. Turkey says it struck 200 government targets in retaliation.

Russia and Turkey back opposing sides in Syria's war, but have nevertheless tried to broker a political deal. Bashar al-Assad's assault on the northwest has upset this effort, seeing Ankara and Moscow accuse each other of breaking de-escalation deals in the region.